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Overview: What is CIU

The information in this section has been gathered from existing peer-reviewed and other literature and has been reviewed by an expert dermatologist on the CSPA Medical Advisory Board (November 2016)

Overview: What is Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU)?

CIU is an autoimmune disorder that is: chronic (long-lasting), idiopathic (we don’t know why it happens) and urticarial (presents with hives). There is no specific known trigger, the condition is defined by hives that last for 6 weeks or more. The hives usually disappear with time but they may return later.

“Rare diseases are still real diseases.”- It is estimated that 1% of the population is affected by CIU. Patients are usually between the ages of 20 and 40 and it affects twice as many women than men.

Learn About Skin Conditions

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